Fall Prevention for Older Adults

Improving Independence in the Home Environment: Assessment and Intervention

Kitchen

Problem	Potential Intervention
Open flames and burners	Microwave Hot plates Meals on wheels Auto shut off Electronic toaster oven Crock pot Frozen dinners Individual coffee maker
Access items	Place commonly used items within easy reach Adjust height of counters, cupboards, drawers Lazy susans
Hard to open refrigerator	Foot lever
Carrying items	Slide across counter Use cart Walker basket or tray Bridge items surface to surface Eat at counter sitting on stool
Difficulty seeing	Increase number of lights Contrasting colored china, placemats, napkins Utensils with brightly colored handles

Note: The interventions described in this assessment serve only as suggestions. A complete assessment of a person’s individual needs should be conducted by a team of licensed and trained professionals. Any intervention or modification to a building must comply with local, state, and federal laws and building codes. In apartments or rental homes, written permission to make modifications should be obtained from the landlord, owner, or property manager. Architectural interventions should be assessed by a licensed architect and carried out by a licensed construction contractor.

Reproduced from: Assessment and Intervention of the Home Environment for Older Persons, Center for Therapeutic Applications of Technology, University of Buffalo, 515 Kimball Tower, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, New York, 14214-3079, phone (716) 829-3141, fax (716) 829-3217. http://wings.buffalo.edu/academic/department/hrp/ot/cat/

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Last updated: 16 September, 2009

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